ElBaradei urges Arab states to change the rules of engagement with Iran

Tehran — IRNA reports that Mohamed ElBaradei, the prominent Egyptian politician and former director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, urged Arab countries to change the rules of the game in relation to Iran. In a message on the X platform, he called for a regional security system that would include all regional actors, notably Iran and Turkey, as part of a pathway to regional peace and stability. He argued that Gulf states should anchor their security in a regional framework built on dialogue, trust-building, and cooperation rather than reliance on external powers. He emphasized that Iran, due to its geographic location, remains a neighbor and a key element in any sustainable regional security arrangement, and that regional experiences over decades illustrate the need to rethink security principles. He urged Arab leaders to adopt a similar perspective, saying a credible regional security system that includes Turkey is a route to peace in the Middle East. ElBaradei linked the success of such a system to addressing the Palestinian issue, calling for an end to Israeli occupation and the establishment of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. The report notes that his remarks come amid broader debates on future Gulf security arrangements following the U.S. war on Iran and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Russia Today reported that Oman had proposed a regional meeting in September with Iran, the GCC, and Iraq to discuss Hormuz, but the meeting was postponed. In recent months, regional initiatives favoring security arrangements more self-reliant have emerged, such as Iraq’s August proposal to create a security coordination council with Saudi Arabia and Iran to address trust deficits.